Lotus at the 2012 Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix

Lotus at the 2012 Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix

This weekend Formula 1 is at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal for the 2012 Canadian Grand Prix, and the question on everybody’s lips is whether we’ll be seeing a seventh new winner crowned in this very exciting season.

At the last race in Monaco it was Red Bull Racing’s Mark Webber at the top of podium, while Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso’s third-place saw him move up to the top of the ladder in the Drivers’ Championship.  

Montreal’s 2.71-mile Circuit Gilles Villeneuve should provide plenty of high-speed action on Sunday, though we hope predictions of fine weather remains until then.

The race track has been the home of the Canadian Grand Prix since 1978. It’s located on Montreal’s Ile Notre Dame, a man-made island in the middle of the St Lawrence River that was built using rock excavated for the Montreal metro.

The track is a semi-permanent circuit. The area around the pits is reserved exclusively for racing, while the rest of the circuit is opened up to road traffic during the summer months. That makes the surface very smooth and, as was the case in Monaco last time out, Pirelli will be supplying its soft and supersoft tire compounds.

Speeds reach as high as 186 mph four times on a single lap and the track’s close barriers can often upset even the most experienced of drivers. Unlike last year, there will only be a single DRS zone in the race--located on the long straight before the final chicane.

Going into qualifying tomorrow and Sunday’s eventual race, Fernando Alonso sits at the top of the points ladder on 76 points, followed by Red Bull Racing drivers Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber tied on 73 points.

McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton has 63 points while Mercedes-AMG driver Nico Rosberg lies fifth with 59. Red Bull Racing continues to lead the Constructors' standings with 146 points, McLaren is second with 108 and Ferrari is tied with Lotus F1 Team at 86. Mercedes-AMG is fifth with 61 points.